Simply being loved...
Left behind in the garden
According to animal welfare, five freedoms are the basis for a happy dog’s life: 1. freedom from hunger and thirst; 2. freedom from discomfort; 3. freedom from pain and illness; 4. freedom to exhibit normal behavior; 5. freedom from fear and stress.
Freedoms, none of which shaped Teddy and Sky’s lives. Because the dogs were at the mercy of a man who disregarded his responsibility so badly that in the end one of them had to pay for it with his life…
A teacher from Vienna becomes aware of the animals’ misery when she hears pitiful whimpering on a walk. She knows immediately: these are dogs in distress! Searching, she finally enters the garden of an empty house and finds Teddy and Sky locked up in a kennel. Frightened, filthy and deprived of their freedom. She learns from neighbors that the dogs have been living in this kennel for over a year – without any attention or exercise, exposed to the freezing cold in winter and the heat in summer. The owner had moved out a month ago and simply left the dogs behind. Since then, local animal lovers have been feeding them, but no one wanted to provide any more help. The teacher is horrified – and takes action!
In October, her call for help reaches the Gut Aiderbichl team, and the animal welfare workers don’t hesitate for a second. The dogs are soon welcomed home. What the animal rescuers didn’t realize at the time, however: Unfortunately, their help comes too late for golden retriever Teddy. While the younger and more robust female husky Sky blossoms in the coming weeks, months of neglect have cost the eleven-year-old male his physical and mental health. He suffers from a cough, but above all from untreatable diarrhea. The cause, Markus Leitner is horrified to discover, is a severe compulsive behavior that Teddy became accustomed to in the kennel: he eats everything. Literally: stones, soil, excrement. For over four months, the animal keepers fought for Teddy’s life with every means at their disposal, desperately trying to channel his behavior and never letting him out of their sight.
But the damage to his soul is too great: at the end of February, Teddy suffers a breakdown. His stomach is inflamed due to the long months in the kennel, his intestines are severely damaged and perforated.
and perforated, resulting in an intestinal blockage. Teddy’s condition no longer allows an operation.
On a sunny morning, in the arms of his caregiver, the golden retriever takes his last breath. The familiar sound of a gentle voice accompanies him, the touch of caressing hands. And so, even though Teddy was only allowed to experience love for a short time in his life, he crosses the Rainbow Bridge as a much-loved dog.
We cannot understand why people act this way and it is not up to us to judge. Every day we receive an incredible number of requests from animal lovers who want to help animals. There is everything from a small mouse to huge oxen. Every day we try to help as many animals as possible. But even the capacity of Gut Aiderbichl, with its more than 30 farms and estates in six countries, is exhausted at some point.
We are therefore delighted when we are able to find loving homes for our young, healthy animals. If you are interested in husky Sky, you can get to know her here on our homepage.
I am with you, however far away you may be, you are close to me! The sun is setting, soon the stars will shine for me. Oh, if you were there!
– JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
